Job Description

• Full-time fixed term from 30 November 2026 until 15 January 2027
• An exciting opportunity for an Executive Assistant to provide confidential, high level and secretariat support to the Head of School at Sydney Nursing School
• Base Salary $107,312+ 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery (Sydney Nursing School) is the school of choice to nurture global citizens in health and wellbeing. We are currently ranked #2 in Australia and #19 globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. At the School we seamlessly integrate teaching, research, and scholarship with practice and policy development, while fostering engagement with all health professions. Our experienced staff, many of whom work in frontline healthcare services, make a real difference to the healthcare landscape in Australia and internationally.

The Executive Assistant and Project Officer will make independent decisions in relation to day-to-day activities and will make other decisions within the scope of this position. This role will utilise excellent judgement and problem-solving skills to resolve issues and will use critical judgement to raise important issues for consultation with the Head of School and Dean and the School Manager.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• coordinate and manage the daily functions of the Head of School and Dean (HOSD), including their responsibilities as Head as well as professorial, professional and industry responsibilities
• liaise with government and other external bodies in the scheduling of appointments, making complex travel arrangements and maximising the productive use of available time
• issuing invoices for reimbursement of travel and acquitting expenses in Concur
• assist the School Manager in the provision of high-level administrative support
• perform executive secretarial duties including prioritisation, dissemination, and preparation of non-routine correspondence
• organize the weekly schedule of the Head and provide and maintain appropriate documentation for all engagements including the preparation of summary briefs when required
• organize HOSD meetings and provide secretariat support
• management of the approval process across the school for documents requiring HOSD approval.
• delivering on school administration projects as determined by the School strategic plan and School Manager.

About you

• extensive experience in providing executive administrative support to senior executive staff
• demonstrated computing skills in email (Outlook), the internet and Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams and Power BI)
• experience in University systems including Concur, Workday and Unibuy
• familiarity with research software including Scopus ID, ORCID iD
• demonstrated ability to adapt to a changing and evolving workplace to meet the school and University’s requirements
• ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with a wide range of people, both internal and external to the University and with professional bodies
• ability to independently compose correspondence without supervision and draft minutes and agendas
• ability to work both independently and as part of a team, taking initiative and exercising judgement in resolving matters that may arise as part of normal daily work
• excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with sound negotiating and conflict resolution skills and a demonstrated level of empathy and discretion in dealing with complex matters.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks and declarations

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Cecilia Blamey, Recruitment Operations by email to cecilia.blamey@sydney.edu.au.

© The University of Sydney

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Applications Close

Thursday 17 September 2026 11:59 PM